The present invention relates to binding together a stack of media sheets and a cover. More specifically, the invention relates to binding the sheets and cover using the same imaging material, toner, ink and the like, used to print the text or images on the sheets.
Conventional methods to bind multiple pages together include stapling, clamping, gluing and sewing. Each of these methods add additional xe2x80x9cmixed materialsxe2x80x9d to the final document. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/320,620 filed on May 26, 1999, entitled xe2x80x9cBinding Sheet Media Using Imaging Material,xe2x80x9d hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a new method for binding media sheets using imaging material such as toner or ink. In addition to applying imaging material to each sheet in the form of text or other desired print image, imaging material is applied to a binding region of each sheet using a printer or other image forming device. The imaging material is activated. Where laser toner is used as the imaging material, the activation process is called fixing or fusing the toner. Then, the sheets are assembled for binding aligning the binging region on each media sheet with and facing a binding region on an adjacent sheet. The imaging material in the binding regions is then re-activated (re-fused if laser toner is used as the imaging material) to bind the sheets.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the binding region 10 of each sheet 12 of booklet 14 is generally located along a binding edge 16 in the shape of a strip to maximize the area available on each sheet for text and graphics. However, as the size of the binding region decreases, so does the force required to destroy the bond. For example, with a five millimeter wide and two hundred seventy millimeter long binding region 10, the force required to destroy the bond is greater than the force required to destroy the sheets themselves when pulling sheet 12 perpendicularly away from the booklet 14. Referring to FIG. 3, the bond strength, however, is, in many instances, not sufficiently strong to withstand peeling. Moreover, attempting to open the booklet flat, as shown in FIG. 4 may destroy the bond in one or more locations.
What is needed is a reinforced book bound using imaging material that is capable of being opened flat and is not susceptible to peeling.
The present invention is directed to a reinforced book assembled from a stack of media sheets and a cover. Each media sheet includes at least one binding region located adjacent to a binding edge of that media sheet. The binding region of each sheet is aligned with and faces a binding region of an adjacent media sheet. The cover extends at least partially over a first face of the stack, wraps around the binding edges of the media sheets, and extends at least partially over a second face of the stack. The book also includes activated imaging material on the binding region of each media sheet binding the media sheets together as well as activated imaging material on the cover binding the cover to the binding regions on the first and second faces of the stack.